The Truth in Our Sins
by TuesdayTerrible
Summary: AU Non Zombie Apocalypse. In which Beth Greene discovers she must either have a save the world complex or a death wish. Maybe both.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Just an idea that popped into my head. If the age difference isnt your thing- why are you even under the Meth tag? :P As always read and Review, let me know if its worth continuing.

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.1.

Beth Greene detested working the late shift at the diner- the grill closed around eight- but she alone had the responsibility of cleaning up, tending to drinks such as coffee or small sandwiches until close where she had to lock up. It wouldnt be such a big deal if the local bar wasnt directly across the street. Her father had nearly forbidden her to get a job- and she had nearly complied had she not wanted so desperately the breathing room from their farm.

She sighed, it was all about sacrifice. A couple scary hours a couple nights a week was nothing compared to the freedom and the paycheck. Still, as she watched the flashing lights of the bar from behind the counter she couldnt help but wonder if anyone would stumble over into here drunk. The last thing she wanted was to be ogled by an old drunkard. She suppressed a shiver at the thought as she watched people slowly started leaving the bar, most headed to their vehicles- but she knew some would come in. Some would come in to order coffee, or water, or just sit it off before they drove. Not many.

The door rang just as she started up the coffee pot, and she turned over her shoulder to see none other than Ed. The last person she wanted to walk through the door- shed take either Dixon over him. She only had heard rumors involving the Dixon- never having meant either of them personally. Her father had strictly forbid her to stay away from them should she ever see out in town.

"You are what you breed." her father had grumbled. Her mother had explained that a long time ago her father was familiar with their father. "If they are even half of their old man- they arent worth knowing." She explained simply.

It had made sense to go along with her parents. Still, she couldnt imagine any one being worse than Ed Peletier. She had been briefly acquainted with Sophia as her math tutor before he explained that that was Mrs. Peletiers job to assist in ALL of Sophia's homework and she was not to come over again. The man was just pure evil and she was surprised not everyone could see it as clear as it was on Mrs. Peletiers face.

"Good evening, Ed." Beth mutters through clenched teeth, tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ears. The action makes her want to tighten her pony tail but she resists the urge as she grabs her pad and paper. "What can I get for you?"

He grumbles something unintelligible and Beth takes the moment to observe his haggard appearance- tie undone. Large sweat stains under his neck. Hair plastered in odd wet directions. Eyes red. She bites her lip to hide the disgust before she repeats herself. "Im sorry sir, what did you say?"

"Coffee." he says dismissing her with a wave of the hand and she returns to the safety of behind the counter. Her eyes watch out the window of the diner hoping for another drunkard to accompany her. While Ed looked harmless, she still was beyond creeped out being alone with him.

_Your a big girl Beth Greene. You will be eighteen in a few short months here. Breathe. You can handle a drunk Ed Peletier. He's a fat uncordinated slob. He doesnt stand a chance if he were to harm you. Not a chance._

She poured him a cup absently and walked around with more purpose in her step as she set the white mug down in front of him.

"Its hot." she warned gently, though she desperately wished he would scald his tongue.

Its not until his hand encircles her wrist firmly does a jut of fear pulse through her. "You're pretty hot yourself."

_Are you kidding me?_

"Ed." she spoke calmly, hoping she sounded like an adult, hoping he couldnt hear the tremor in her voice. "I think it would be in your best interest to let go of me."

He doesn't seem to be fully present as he grips her wrist more firmly, red eyes finding her face- a small smile growing over his lips.

"Ya think ya stronger than me _girl _? I could snap ya wrist in half if I wanted to." his voice slurred strangelly at the end as he moved to a stand. Its not until than did she realize how small she was compared to Ed. She had never found him a tall man, and in that moment he seemed to tower over her. The fear accelerating her heart rate and she found the urge to scream rising in her throat.

He must have seen it to because his other hand wrapped around her throat and he led her to the tiled floor with it.

"Ya bes' be quiet ya here?" He whispered- his breath smelled of stale alcohol, and she winced at the closeness between them. Tears were already forming in her eyes as she wiggled beneath him. He was going to rape her, she could tell. She knew the look- she was young but she was not naïve. She had been touched intamently briefly before by her boyfriend Jimmy. He always stopped though and never made it beneath her blouse and here was Ed. The hand that captured her wrist only moments ago was palming the weight of her small breast.

"Please" she whimpered, the tears staining her cheeks. "dont do this." his hand tightened on her throat with each word and she swore she could feel the world caving in on her.

It was the door ringing that saved her. She turned her attention to the door hoping it was a cop, almost begging for it to be Rick or even Shane. Someone to hull him off her and straight into jail- and if not at least someone who would get the police.

It was neither. In fact, Beth could see no more than a pair of black shoes and tattered blue jeans. It happened in a matter of seconds that Ed was off of her and Beth was gasping for air, coughing hysterically on the tire floor. The fluorescent lights of the diner suddenly blinding as she listened to the sound of flesh against flesh, she pulled herself up off the floor to watch her supposedly hero beat the shit out of Ed.

He didnt stop until she spoke raspidly to him quietly, "Thats enough."

He turned around to face her a small smirk crossing his somehow pale features.

"How old are ya darlin?' and she realized the man in the leather jacket with angel wings (how ironic) was at least slightly intoxicated as well. His voice softly slurred and his eyes slightly gazed with an influence she could only assume was alcohol.

"17." she said quietly, rubbing her throat as if that would wipe the traces of Ed away.

"Well. Damn." He said chuckling, a low rumbling in his chest, rubbing a hand behind his head. "Yous a pretty little thing. Oh well." He paused wiping Ed's blood onto his jeans as he rose to a stand. "Ya can keep a secret cantya? Cant afford ta get into anymore trouble for this shit."

"Youre a Dixon then." she said and she could tell he could even detect the surprise in her voice.

"The eldest!" He exclaimed smiling coyly. "Sure ya heard all the finnnne things Im capable of. Fraid yas a little to young ta have Merle at the wheel sweet thang but ya get a few years older. You can come find me ill make an exception."

She rolled her eyes attempting not to blush at his flirtation antics. "Ill take care of it.. Merle." she added at the end softly experimenting with the name, mainly to see if it was the right one.

His eyes lit up a bit when she said it, that smirk growing if possible even wider before shaking his head. "Damn shame."

Shes not sure what he meant by that- but before she had a chance to thank him- he was gone just the sound of a motorcycle revving off in his wake.

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A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I worked really hard on this chapter, so I hope it doesnt come off dry or to unbelievable or a hundred other ways that equal potential suck. Theres no direct Meth here- but soon enough my friends. Patience. As always, thank you for reading.

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.2.

She awoke the next morning with the eldest Dixon on her mind.

She had called the cops as soon as she couldnt here the rev of the bike engine any longer.

Rick handled things quickly escorting Ed in cuffs out to his vehicle before he calmly questioned Beth about what steps she would like to take following the incident even though she knew he didnt have too. She told Rick she wasnt going to press chargers even though she knew she should- she didnt want to have to be brought into a police line up to 'identify who did this to him' anymore than she wanted to lose her first real job over a single mishap. Rick informed her he would give Carol a call as well even though it was beyond his police obligations.

Thats why she liked Rick- he always went above and beyond.

But even after the incident was over and her father had done his usual routine of waiting of for her and asking her how work went- and even after she lied to her father (which was honestly exhausting enough) She climbed the stairs to her room and nestled into bed only to be swarmed with the face of a drunken man with angel wings.

She wondered if it was just because she hadnt been able to say thank you that he was haunting her so. Perhaps it was his reputation. She tried not to think about it as she pushed herself out of bed and got ready for her morning chores. If she was any other girl- theyd still be in bed sleeping away or spending their morning plugged into some electronic. Not her. Her father didnt allow those types of luxuries here. You worked hard on a farm regardless of it being a weekend, or summer vacation. There was no time for slacking off.

But her mind wasnt in its usual griping. She didnt really mind not being like everyone else. Her fathers rules had given her an incredible work ethic. Her mind was swarmed with an much older man- a man who had called her pretty and saved her virginity. A man with a Harley motorcycle and leather wings.

It wasnt until that moment did she think much of the Dixons. She knew nothing of them other than there were two of them. They had tempers like bats out of hell, drank and simply werent to be trifled with. But that was what rumors said anyway- and how often were rumors true? Surely they couldnt be as bad as everyone made them out to be. At least not Merle- how could someone so bad come to her aid?

She had decided she was going to seek him out and thank him properly. It was only the right thing to do after all.

X

"You seem chipper this morning." Shawn mused as he shoveled horse manure from one of the stalls. Beth was cleaning Nelly's hoofs when he said so and she looked up to him momentarily questionous. "What do you mean?"

"You're hummin' while doin your chores. You never do that." Shawn mused resting against his shovel, eyebrows raised. "Somethin ya wanna tell me?"

Beth smiled shaking her head. "The lord is my shepherd.."

Shawn smiled rolling his eyes. "I shall not want. Ya ya well im pretty sure thats not what he was getting at."

She paused as she set Nellys last clean hoof down before turning to face him.

"Actually Shawn, can I borrow the car for a little while?"

"Chores are done?"

"Mmhm."

" Dont see why not. Just let dad know youre leaving."

"Not a problem."

X

After letting her father know she was going over to Felicia's (another lie, when did the lies become her own instead of covering for her brother and sister?) and wouldnt be home until after her shift at the diner.

She drove in Shawns beat up car, the thing barely putted along and she was sure it was getting ready to go to the graveyard.

"Dear lord." she muttered as the thing came to a complete stall. "Give me patience."

She had half the urge to curse her brother for not having saved the funds to purchase the truck he wanted yet. It may be one thing for her brother to lift the hood and tinker around until he got the car moving. Beth on the other hand didnt have the faintest idea of cars or what to do with them. She had just obtained a license and drivers ed didnt particularly go into what to do if your car decides to up and die on you.

She bit her lip as she pondered the area. It was almost a fifteen mile march back home and in this summer heat she was certain she probably die.

_Oh, come on Beth- now thats an exaggeration. Die, really? What are you five? Walking a few miles in any direction wont kill you._

Still she found herself sighing. She was a good five miles from town where the bar and her diner was. She supposed trying to figure out anything about her Dixon wasnt on the agenda today.

_Her Dixon? Come on now- you barely know the man and hes easily twice...your age. You just want to apologize to him. Thats no reason to get all possessive._

She flipped out her phone and after a brief phone call with Shawn. He told her a guy from Autozone would pick her and the car up and Felicia would just have to pick her up there.

"Itll be done before you get into work." Shawn assured her. "Have fun with your girl pal."

Beth sighed as she hung up her cell- it looked like her small lie would end up turning into a truth after all. There was no way she was going to sit at Autozone all day while a bunch of men tried to determine what exactly possessed that car to be as inconsiderate as it was.

X

The man they sent out to pick up her truck was a Dixon. She had climbed into the passenger seat of his truck as he hooked the little car up to his monster of a vehicle. It wasnt until he took a seat wordlessly beside her did she notice the last name printed on his greasy baby blue t-shirt.

_Dixon_

The man was a Dixon! What were the odds. The odds had her scrunching up her face and attempting to read the name on his shirt at least ten more times to make sure there was no other last name it could be. The outcome was always the same. D. I . x. o . n. Dixon.

"The 'ell ya look'n at?" The man gruffed never taking his eyes off the road. She felt the sting of his comment and she felt embarrassment flood over her.

"I was just...your shirt." she mumbled trying to recover from her embarrassment. "Are you Merle's brother?"

The mans ears tinted red and his head lowered into his shoulders just a bit, his knuckles whitening against the steering wheel. If Beth hadnt been so curious of the brothers she certainly wouldnt have noticed his discomfort. It was almost as if he was ashamed to be associated with the man. Maybe she had been mistaken and she felt the need to correct it- in hopes to ease his embarrassment.

"The last name." She added quickly. "I just recognize the last name and I thought maybe you two were related."

When the driver didnt answer and his grip didnt lessen on the steering wheel- she found herself rambling in hopes to just get the man to speak or atleast relax to the point where he didnt decide to drive them off the road.

"He saved me y'know. Yesterday. He told me not to talk about it. But I think he might be a good man. Despite the fact his name doesnt have the best reputation. I...I didnt mean to offend you if you think ill of them. They just...theyve never done me wrong."

Shes not sure when his arms relaxed or when his lips quirked into something that vaguely resembled a smile but they did and she let out a breath she hadnt realized shed been holding during her tangent.

"Ya." the man said after a while. "Merle has his good moments."

They sat in silence for the rest of the drive as the man drove the truck and the car right into the back of the auto body shop.

"Thanks Mr. Dixon." she said softly extending her hand to the older man.

"Daryl." the man said sheepishly, offering his hand awkwardly to her.

She turned around to leave him at that, happy enough that he did at least confirm her suspicions that he was in fact Merle's younger brother. He surprised her once again.

"Didya mean wha' ya said?" he asked, his hand finding his mouth as he knawled off a hangnail. "Bout Merle I mean-"

"Yeah." She said smiling earnestly. "I would of..." somehow admitting to someone that she was almost raped made her feel ashamed and the words just wouldnt come out. "He just came in at the perfect time."

She turned to walk away once more, to let him and whoever else get to work on the demon contraption her brother insisted was a car. However, as she turned around she swore she heard the older man utter 'thank you.'

X

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A/N: As always, r&r. Its always appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I know, its moving dreadfully slow- but anything else would be completely unrealistic. I promise the next chapter wll have the METH interaction we all crave. Thanks to all those fabulous reviews I have received on this story- without them I would never update as promptly. Thank you all.

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.3.

As she walks out to the front of the Autobody shop, Beth pauses as she watches Mrs. Peletier pull in with her beat up old Station Wagon. She feels the urge to both confront her and apologize to her. Its not that she's the confrontational type- she isnt mad at the woman she just doesnt understand and that frustrates her. She knows her ability to understand why a kind woman like Carol chooses to stay with a man like Ed is something that comes with age. She doesnt have enough experience to understand something as mature as a marriage, she knows things arent always very well black and white. The world has to many gray areas.

The town also has a everyone knows everyone's everything policy- its bound to be in all small confine places. And the town also has a very strict mind your own policy as well. Everyone had a hinkering of what went on between the Peletiers. Even she wasnt naïve enough to notice the way, no one ever hardly saw Carol and the way she would flinch away from even the smallest of gestures. The way her clothes were always baggy or long. The way that sometimes she wore sunglasses when the sun wasnt shining. And still, nothing was done because no one wants to get involved with a shit ton of ugly.

She hovers there contemplating what her next action should be from here if she wasnt going to talk to Carol. She bites her lip and watches her tentatively come up to Daryl. She smiles absently and thinks that maybe if things ever got resolved with Ed- the two of them might be very great friends. Her mother would have told her that was a naïve thought- still. The two seemed incredibly awkward and estranged by their histories- people carried to much baggage. That was the one thing Beth didnt mind so much about being young. There was an indefinite amount of less baggage.

X

She finds herself at the local park to kill time. Felicia isnt able to pick her up until a few measly hours before shes supposed to head to work and that in itself is practically a waste of time. So she finds herself on a swing, the toes of her tennis shoes digging absently into the ground in front of her.

Its at that moment she catches herself thinking about the Dixons again. She finds herself intrigued in their background and she isnt sure if its because of the rumors or what Merle did inspite of them. She knows that the act was of mere coincidence. It was not orchestrated for them to fall in love or become friends- that in itself would only result in more problems than she was sure either of them wanted to deal with.

Still. That didnt dissolve the desire to want to speak with the man on a more intimate level. She would love to sit and have a coffee with him- pick his brain for a little bit. Maybe run a finger over his muscular arm and trace the leather of his wings. She shakes the thought from her head- it was a ridiculous notion, and still- she found herself vaguely attracted to the man.

"Thou shall not commit adultery." Beth muttered, and while she was not betrothed to Jimmy- surely thinking about cheating was a sin. She supposed she should revisit her bible for the specifics- god help her if daddy realized she was getting rusty with her scripture.

Its at that moment, lost in her thoughts, does she see him. Merle Dixon at a childrens park who would of thought. He stood on the bridge over the lakes edge seemingly waiting for someone- his posture was rigid and even from a distance she could tell his behavior seemed a little odd. The way his hands moved to scratch at his arms and couldnt find a position to remain relaxed.

She wondered if alcohol was the least of his concerns, not that she was particularly an expert on illegal substances. She wouldnt know the signs if it werent for the recent assembly reminding everyone to express cautions at parties (that her father would never dream of letting her attend) and how drugs would essentially ruin your life before your lifes even begun (another- you are to young comment, the kind that aggravated Beths nerves to the extremities.)

So in fact, she did nothing. She just watched him, chiding herself for wanting to thank him and than being to cowardly too. The odds of her seeing him again werent likely- he would find whoever he was meeting and leave and than the opportunity would be lost to her. However the opportunity seemed like a much favorable option to lose compared to the possibility of blatant rejection.

The opportunity however doesnt pass her. Merle Dixon walks right up to her, hands in his pockets- his mouth persed just so as he approaches her like its the most natural thing in the world.

"Ya seen a kid round here- bout your age- got a mohawk?" Merle asked not bothering to face her directly. He seemed extremely uncomfortable and to her discomfort he didnt even seem to have remembered her at all.

"Im not a child." She scolded softly, her blue eyes turning up to face him much firmer than she believed she had the ability too.

"Ya eighteen?" He scuffed raising an eyebrow looking rather dispassionate about the whole ordeal- though he did bother to meet her gaze if only to demolish the intensity of hers.

She barely got the "no" out of her mouth before he smirked and responded with that somehow incredibly smooth drawl of his.

"Than yas a child girlie."

He turned on his heel and walked off and Beth was so shocked she didnt have even the first idea how to stop him.

X

It didnt take a significant amount of time for her to figure out who Merle was searching for. Roy Townsend, he was the only person in this small town to ever recently sport a mohawk for any period of time. He had bleached blonde hair, a nose ring, and the darkest accented eyes shed ever seen.

He had a reputation too, which really shouldnt surprise her. He was constantly under eye for carrying, abusing and selling illegal substances.

The notion made her skin crawl that her alleged hero was also suffering from substance addictions of the dangerous kind. It was so hard to see someone who had acted so strong, and so purposeful do something so...wrong.

Its the investigation into Roy though that allows Beth to see that she may be romanticizing what happened to her. She was obviously suffering from some post traumatic stress disorder from nearly being raped and instead of healthily acknowledging it- she was forcing these feelings of romantic ideas onto a man that was surely less than fit.

Still, her ability to rationalize things didnt deter the aching thrum of her heart when she thought of him strung out somewhere or passed out in a puddle of his own vomit. Surely, did anyone take care of him as he rode this train of destruction?

Her thoughts are interrupted as Daryl parks her car and approaches her carefully. Its not until she blinks up at him stunned does she rise to a stand and take the keys from his extended hands.

"Thank you." she says quietly, and even she can hear the sadness in her voice. "How uhm...did you know I would be here? And payment?"

"Yer brotha took care of it ova the phone." he said with a shrug, hands sinking into his pocket awkwardly.

"Want me to give you a ride back to the shop?" Beth suggested quietly aware him driving her vehicle to the park left him with a good couple miles back to the shop. It was a bit of a hike after a long day she figured.

He shrugged again and headed off in the general direction of her vehicle. She assumed that was as good as it was going to get.

"Daryl...Can I ask you something about your brother?"

He flinched again, before leaning his head against the window. "Go ahead. Aint nothin' I havent been asked before."

"What kind of woman does your brother like?"

He jumped than smacking his head against the door frame- the action alone sending him into a cursing fit. Beths hands clenched the steering wheel reflexively as she waited for Daryl to simmer doing her best to hide the anxiety from her face.

"Any skank he can take home from the bar really." He said after a short while embarrassment clear on his face. "S'got a thang for blondes though. Wait- why the hell ya askin' anyway? Aint any of ya damn business who Merle does what with."

She turns her head away from Daryl hoping to hide the heat from her cheeks. "I know it isnt." She pauses trying to think of what to say before Daryl discovers it isnt idle curiosity that has her asking- any more than it is an attempt to slander their name even farther.

"What kind of woman do you like?"

Its Daryls turn to turn red and shrink away from her, retreating into himself.

"Dont got a type." He grumbled finally as they pulled into the shop.

Beth smiled shyly. It was wrong, she mused, to make him so uncomfortable. But she had to admit there was something about Daryl that she adored. She wandered why she had to want to jump his brothers bones over his. Even if there was an age gap between her and Daryl it at least seemed breach-able, unlike the one she wanted.

She shakes her head in hopes to fill it with thoughts of Jimmy as she makes her drive to work.

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A/N: As always- reviews are greatly appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So the length isnt quite up to par to where I want it to be. But there is some def. Meth interaction in here for you. So let me know what you think. Read and Review- it makes my day.

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.4.

Beth usually found herself watching the people at the diner as she waited for their food to be done in the kitchen. She people watched- which she found a lot of people her age didnt. She noticed small unimportant things like how Rick took his coffee and what Dale put on his bagel. There was nothing new to notice though- most of the people who came here were regulars eating the same thing in their same ways and Beth found herself rather bored.

The clock on the wall seemed to drag, each tick of the hand seemingly pulling a hypothetical ball and chain- and Beth found herself staring at the bar across the street eagerly looking for a motorcycle.

For now, just viewing the man was enough. It was completely healthy. It was normal. She tried to coach herself. It was normal to be drawn to broken people who save you from being molested in a diner. Completely normal. She chewed on her lips absently.

"Kevin?" She called into the back. "Im taking my fifteen okay?"

She found herself stepping out and opening her cellphone as she stared at the bar across the street- casually putting in Jimmys phone number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey babe. Hows work going?"

"Boring." She replied softly, her eyes trained on the illuminated lights. How was it possible that she had absolutely nothing to say to her boyfriend? Was there anything she didnt know? Anything she wanted to know? She was surprised to find that the answer was honestly no. "Just thought Id give you a call and see what you were up too."

"Just got off of work." he replied without missing a beat. "between your parents and mine they are going to run me ragged."

She stiffled a laugh before she noticed a very familiar truck pulling up across the street. "Oh Jimmy- I have to go. Kevin's signaling me back in."

"Alright, talk to you later."

She mumbles a good bye before hanging up and jamming her phone into her pocket as she watches the two Dixon brothers exit Daryl's truck. Her heart literally jams itself into its throat as she watches him get out. She wishes she had a word for what she was feeling right now, staring at his strong arms and sharp jaw. He had a way about him that lit up the entire area he was in, with careful consideration she decided the ache she felt was yearning.

It wasnt exactly planned her next move, and maybe if the ache had been a little more subtle- or her heart a little less wild, she would have considered how much of a catastrophe her plan could be.

X

"Dont stain my good dress." Felicia mumbles as she ties her wild red hair up into a ponytail. "I cant believe youre really going to make me cover your shift so you can fool around with Jimmy."

The lie spoken so blatantly makes Beth shudder as she studies herself in the bathroom mirror. "What do you think?" Beth says quietly to her friend. "Do I look older?"

Felicia pauses, as she studies Beth's reflection. The dress was a simple black cocktail dress pushing up and exposing Beths cleavage as the rest of the dress hugged her simple curves. It was elegant, and it did give her an air of maturity.

"Yes." Felicia says with a pause. "You look very beautiful." She pauses for a moment before running a hand through Beths soft blonde hair before persing her lips and handing her the black strap on heels. "Stupid dress looks better on you."

X

Beths heart was pounding so hard as she crossed the street to the bar. She had to pay attention to the lie she told Felicia- the lie she'd probably have to tell to get in- and the possibility of everything going horribly horribly wrong. The simplicity was- she had to see him. The risks were high but the risks were worth it.

She wanted Merle Dixon to see her as a woman- not as a little kid. If only for a night. She was almost positive if he could want her a fraction of what she wanted him she would be satisfied. She would be able to move forward with her life- with Jimmy, with whatever she wanted. She just needed to get this out of her system first.

So she slinked through the front door unnoticed. The bar was jammed pack with older men, a handful of older woman scattered through out- all dressed rather loosely, her mother would have said. Their breasts bulged from their shirts, half of them had their mid-drifts exposed, and shorts that literally left the majority of their ass hanging out. Not only did Beth look semi- out of place- but she was beginning to feel as if she didnt measure up.

That was not a feeling she very much cared to endure, and their was Merle- armed wrapped around some blonde ogling her breasts as he downed another beer.

"I cant do this." she mumbled to herself. "stupid." she cursed again as her feet took her forwards til she was standing directly in front of them- her hands unknown to her clenched into fists at her side.

He noticed her immediately his eyes darting from the woman at his side into her heated blue ones. His arm slowly came down to a droop as gruffly excused himself from sugar tits and slid off the bar stool to stand in front of her.

"Wha' ya doin 'ere angel?" He said leaning down to the shell of her ear. She felt herself tremble against his warmth and an unfamiliar heat pour into her gut.

"Same as you." she said softly, putting on what she hoped was a brave face. "Are ya gonna buy me a drink or is that above you?"

He smirked slightly gently taking his thumb and forefinger and tilting her chin up towards him. "Ya look a little young for drinking."

It took her a moment to hear him over the noise of the bar and the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. All she could feel was his callouses against her chin and all she could see was that his eyes were the prettiest shade of blue shes ever seen.

"Legal." she hummed and she hoped the influence of alcohol made him believe so, after all, he hadnt seemed to remember her from the park or from the diner. She had been just another one of the faceless people he didnt give two shits about. But that was going to change. It had too.

He paused a small smirk spreading against his features. "'lright baby doll- whatcha havin then? Or how bout a taste a ole' Merle?"

Her inexperience in relationships made her shy and she found herself shifting away from him n only the slightest. She hardly considered herself a flirt, and had already put her best foot forward there. But here he was offering her a taste of him- she wasnt even sure what that meant- all she knew was that she wanted it.

She lay her hand softly in the middle of his chest, big blue eyes staring up at him, her face slightly red and yet somehow confident all the same.

"I would _love _a taste of you."

She barely got out the you before his mouth clamped down onto hers. It took less than ten seconds for Merle Dixon to maneuver the two of them against the back wall. His left hand propped itself against the wall to hold his weight off of her and his right rested on her side right under her breast.

It was happening so fast she couldnt help but writhe under him, it was everything she wanted and everything she feared to obtain. She could feel him smirk against her lips as he gently slid his tongue between her lips and stole her breath.

"Ya got a name sugar?" Merle said pulling back just enough to look into her blue eyes- his forehead bumping hers so intamatly Beth saw sparks flash through the bar.

"Beth." Its not until she watches his brow furrow does it occur to her that she should have used another name. Her doubts are quenched when he places his warm intoxicating mouth back to hers.

Beth has been kissed before- a handful of times actually. But none of them were nearly this skilled, certainly not Jimmy's timid inexperienced tongue (not that she was much better, but Merle wasnt seeming to have any complaints.) Merle's kiss was like lightning, swift, fast, and intense. She didnt even mind the taste of alcohol that briefly crossed her taste buds. Somehow, it just completed the experience with Merle.

His hands gently cupped her breast through the dress, a hand grazing her left nipple to a point, and she literally hissed at the contact- turning wide frightened yet lustful eyes in his direction. He seemed to pick up the nervousness slowing the contact down to a slow roll.

"Ya not been with two many good men, have ya darlin? Yas in for a real treat. Ya wanna go for a ride let me go and find Darylena and.."

The mention of Daryl sent the heat from her groin straight into oblivion. Daryl would recognize her, unless he was drunk and then shed have to drive...Her mind went rapid as Merle maneuvered through the crowd with ease and out of her sight.

She knew she had to run, her flight instincts were at their prime and she could hardly breathe. She couldnt bare to not have another taste of him- there was no getting Merle Dixon out of her system. She wanted him in the fullest extent possible and she was fine with that. If nothing else- she had to find a way to bed the man.

That resolve disappeared when Daryl approached them completely sober.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are appreciated.


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